A District of Columbia Certified Copy is a copy of a Business Document which includes an endorsement, with an accompanying Certificate or Seal, of the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs which states that the document is a true copy of the Business Document originally filed with the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.  A Certified Copy of a District of Columbia Business Document also includes the date that the Document was Certified by the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.  A District of Columbia Certified Copy of a Business Document is normally a photocopy.

A District of Columbia Certified Copy bears the signature of a representative of the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. 

When the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs issues a Certified Copy of a Corporate Document, this means that the District of Columbia Certified Copy is a true, accurate and valid copy of the DC Corporate Document that the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs has on file.

A Plain Copy of a District of Columbia Business Document is just what the name implies.  It is simply a photocopy of a Business Document.  There are no endorsements, stamps or seals on a Plain Copy of a District of Columbia Business Document.

Most legal, government and financial institutions require Certified Copies of Business Documents rather than Plain Copies when dealing with official matters.

Some of the reasons why you might need a District of Columbia Certified Copy of your Business Documents:

• Bank loans
• Tax filings
• Foreign Business qualification
• Replace original DC Business Documents
• Provide legal proof of District of Columbia Business Registration

If you are responsible for the Business records of a District of Columbia Corporation or a District of Columbia LLC it is important to retain on file Certified Copies of your Formation Documents - your Articles of Incorporation for Corporations or your Articles of Organization for LLCs; as well as all Amendments to your original Articles.

The District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs issues a Good Standing Certificate to District of Columbia Corporations and LLCs which are up to date with all administrative requirements.

The District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs will Certify any Business Document which has been filed with that office.  On the other hand, the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs generally does not Certify Documents which are issued by that office.

So, no the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs will not Certify a Good Standing Certificate or any other document which is issued by that office.

A Corporation or LLC which is registered in one state and wants to do business in another state must first qualify as a "Foreign Corporation" or a "Foreign LLC" in the state in which it wants to do business. 

For example, a Corporation or LLC that is registered in District of Columbia wants to do business in California.  The District of Columbia Corporation or LLC must qualify as a California Foreign Corporation or LLC. 

Some states require a Certified Copy of the formation documents, called Articles of Incorporation for a Corporation or Articles of Organization for an LLC, from the Foreign Corporation's home state. 

We can get your District of Columbia Certified Copies within 7-10 business days for $45.00 plus state Document fees.

If you need your District of Columbia Certified Copies quicker we can usually get them from the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs on the next business day for $164.00 plus state Document fees if we get your order before noon District of Columbia time.  (Our expedited processing fee also includes any additional state fees for the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs's expedited process.)

Depending on the Document, the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs may take longer to Certify Business Documents filed more than around ten years in the past.

We are dependent on, and have no control over, the staff and systems of the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.  We get your District of Columbia Certified Copies order to the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs as soon as possible after we receive your order.  Once it is at the state we have no control over District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs processing times.

The processing times specified on this web page are the times it usually takes the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs to process orders for Certified Copies of Business Documents. 

The DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs charges $50.00 for each Certified Copy of a Business Document.  We charge a processing fee of $45.00 for our standard processing.  We can usually get your District of Columbia Certified Copies in 7-10 business days with our standard processing.  With our expedited processing option we can usually get your District of Columbia Certified Copies within next business day.

No. We cannot get copies of vital records such as District of Columbia Birth Certificates or Marriage Licenses. For those kinds of documents you will have to contact the County Clerk in the District of Columbia County in which the Documents were issued.

If you are ready to order District of Columbia Certified Copies online now just fill in the form below and click Place Order.  As soon as we receive your order for District of Columbia Certified Copies we will start processing it immediately.